Flames’ Martin Pospisil must strike balance after crossing the line yet again

Martin Pospisil did it again. 

He crossed the line.

And just like he did a month earlier, he’ll almost certainly pay a price for it.

The league will make sure of that.

Late in the second period of a tight game in Winnipeg on Thursday, the 24-year-old Calgary Flames winger caught Josh Morrissey with his head down as the Jets defenceman tried exiting his zone with the puck.    

Perhaps in an effort to protect himself to some degree, Pospisil left his feet while initiating a hit that saw his elbow make dangerous contact with Morrissey’s head.

Luckily, Morrissey was able to bounce back up and finish the game.

Pospisil wasn’t as lucky, as a two-minute elbowing minor was turned into a major via video review, ending his night.

Five minutes for elbowing, a game misconduct and another suspension sure to be tacked on to the three-game sit-down he had four weeks earlier when he rammed Vince Dunn’s head into the boards from behind.

Keep in mind, he probably could have been kicked out of the same game against Seattle earlier on after he ran Adam Larsson headfirst into the wall.

Dunn missed 12 games because of the hit Pospisil later admitted he needed to learn from.

Well, school’s back in, as the league isn’t keen on repeat offenders.

Consider the fact that a month before the Dunn incident, Pospisil was kicked out of a game in Boston for decking Brad Marchand after a whistle.  

Suddenly, Saturday’s Battle of Alberta may be a little less interesting, without Pospisil there to add spark to the traditionally combustible rivalry.

With the Flames mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with Thursday’s 5-2 loss, Saturday’s visit from the Oilers gives the Flames little else to play for than spoiling Edmonton’s home ice chase. 

Arguably their most entertaining player by virtue of a style that has made him the Flames' runaway hit leader, Pospisil is also the team’s most reckless player.

He’s been that way for years, once racking up an unfathomable 253 penalty minutes in 43 USHL games.

Just a few days ago he reiterated the fact he’s in the NHL because he’s so different from most other players.

He lives on the edge.

Has to.

But just 56 games into his NHL career, he’s still got plenty to figure out in terms of respecting the safety of his peers.   

The twisted irony in it all is that with six concussions already on his medical chart, Pospisil knows if he were to receive the same sort of overzealous contact, his career could be in jeopardy.

Flames coach Ryan Huska took exception to the video review process, arguing after the game that while a major can be reduced to a minor via review, a two-minute minor cannot be reviewed for a major.

Semantics, as the hit was sure to get the attention of the department of player safety regardless.

“That’s part of the way Marty plays,” said Huska of the hit, which he said he hadn’t reviewed, outside of seeing it on the jumbotron.

“Now, we don’t want to see him in the penalty box, because he’s a more effective player for us on the ice.

“It’s a matter of making sure he understands there is a way to play, but there’s just that very fine line that he wants to make sure he’s good with.

“We don’t want to change the way he plays, it’s just making sure he’s on the right side of it.”

Nobody said there wouldn’t be growing pains as part of Calgary’s youth movement, as Pospisil’s latest misstep comes on a night Connor Zary was a healthy scratch and Dustin Wolf was handed his fourth-straight loss following a valiant 40-save effort.

Oh, and their playoff hopes were officially dashed with their seventh loss in their last eight outings.

“It sucks,” said MacKenzie Weegar, whose 19^th goal of the season has him one back of the league lead for defencemen.

“Everybody wants to chase the Cup. That’s what it’s all about. We’re going to build a great culture here the last (seven) games and we’ll bring that into next year with a great environment, a strong culture and a big identity.”

The next handful of games, they’ll likely have to do it without Pospisil.